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Saturday, August 10, 2013

Before I Read Rose Under Fire

Before I read a book, I look at its cover. Despite what people say, you can tell a lot about a book based simply on what it looks like on the outside. Although you cannot judge a story by its cover, the outward appearance is what can draw you in and make you want to read it. I love talking about covers maybe as much as I love talking about the novels themselves, so I started this feature that spotlights these essential works of art.

While flying an Allied fighter plane from Paris to England,
American ATA pilot and amateur poet, Rose Justice, is captured by the Nazis and
sent to Ravensbrück, the notorious women's concentration camp. Trapped in
horrific circumstances, Rose finds hope in the impossible through the loyalty,
bravery and friendship of her fellow prisoners. But will that be enough to
endure the fate that’s in store for her?

Elizabeth Wein, author of the critically-acclaimed and
best-selling Code Name Verity, delivers another stunning WWII thriller. The
unforgettable story of Rose Justice is forged from heart-wrenching courage,
resolve, and the slim, bright chance of survival.

This cover is transfixing.

It is pretty in the conventional way, yes, what with that diaphanous red scarf trapped on that elegantly oppressive fence, adding a burst of color to the otherwise barren landscape in the background. However, what makes it really eye-catching is its unconventional attractiveness, the stark yet striking quality it presents that makes it slightly uncomfortable in a way that viewers cannot quite pinpoint. Both of these aspects line up to create a cover at which one cannot avoid staring, trying to decode its calculated beauty, and I am dying to read the book to better understand the picture placed on its face.

4 comments:

Transfixing! That's the perfect word for it. The dialogue I had for it kind of resembled The Hunger Games where she says that she's not beautiful, she's radiant. I was like "It's not great, it's...WHAT IS IT?" You described the cover so great, you're like an illustrator with words.

Thanks! You always leave the nicest comments. :) I like your comparisonl; it's hard to call this cover great or beautiful because it is that plus a litle more. And I love the way YOU described MY description as well.